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Selling the Solution

Ask most struggling sales professionals what their goal is this quarter of the year and they will respond: to make my quota.

Ask most successful sales professionals that their goal is and the answer will more than likely be “addressing the needs of my customers.”

That is the significant difference between how to merely survive in sales and how to prosper.

Too often we forget that we have only a very limited time to hold people’s attention. There is only one way to extend that period of time, and that is to listen to customers talk about themselves and their needs, rather than talking about yourself and your products or services.

It is only when you hear your customer identify their problem and you can determine a link between what you offer and a solution to their problem that you will make the sale.

Whenever I say this in sales seminars, someone challenges my assumption that all products or services are designed to solve a problem.

“What if the client is just buying because they want something, or because it looks nice, or it’s a cool toy to have,” they ask.

And I respond.

If they are buying something that looks nice, they have a problem now that they think most of what they see around them is ugly and they want it to look nice. If they think what you sell is merely a cool toy, they are thinking they deserve to have a cool toy, or perhaps that their friends will envy them or be impressed if they have a cool toy.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in sales is to get all caught up in promoting your product or service and talking at great length about how great it is without being able to link it to the problem or concern your client is thinking about.

Before starting any conversation or creating any single piece of marketing, make sure that you remember what your purpose is. You have to find that link between what your client needs to solve their problem and what you are selling.

For example, if you want them to click the “buy” link on your website and you are selling a motivational or self-help book, make sure that the call to action reminds the reader how their life will change for the better as a result of reading this book.

If you are selling food products, remind your buyers that if they want to lose weight or be healthier, to buy these products.

It is obvious that you want to sell your product or service, but it can’t look obvious. When you can match your plead with the customer’s need, your sales will start to skyrocket.

Paula Morand is a leadership building, revenue boosting, strategy expanding keynote speaker, author and visionary. This dreaming big and being bold leadership expert and brand strategist brings her vibrant energy, humor and wisdom to ignite individuals, organizations and communities to lead change, growth and impact in a more bold fashion.

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